


Out in the Cold

by Happenstance_and_Balderdash



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blind Ignis Scientia, Camping, Frostbite, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Wilderness Survival, braving the elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-02 09:30:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14541753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happenstance_and_Balderdash/pseuds/Happenstance_and_Balderdash
Summary: Camping in the snowy landscapes of enemy territory, a blind Ignis finds himself lost. Will he be found before he succumbs to the cold? Will the daemons find him first?





	1. Making Camp

“So this was a bust,” said Noctis casually from the camp stove, where he prepared their dinner with instruction from Ignis.

“You can say that again,” agreed Gladio from his seat by the campfire.  He had finished setting up the tent while Noctis went through the remaining food supplies, listing them off for Ignis until the latter had snapped his fingers, deciding on a recipe for their last evening in the snow.

“We knew when we began that the rumors of a royal tomb out this way were questionable at best,” said Ignis placatingly as, guided by Noctis, he gently prodded the simmering fish.  He nodded and handed the utensil back.

Gladio huffed in annoyance as he held his hands up to the fire.  “We wasted four days.” 

“Every possible lead is worth investigating.”  Ignis turned in Gladio’s direction as he spoke, the fire reflected brightly in his dark glasses.  “We must give our King every advantage against the challenges ahead.”

Noctis focused on his cooking, watching the spices float around the pan and feigning inattention to the discussion about him.  He understood Ignis’ intent and he agreed with him.  Whatever faced him would take everything he had.  The more power he had at his disposal, the better.  On the other hand, he also understood Gladio’s frustration and restlessness all too well.  He was anxious to move ahead.  To find Prompto.  Find the crystal.  End this nightmare.  He missed the sun.

“Noct, now would be an appropriate time to remove the fish,” said Ignis quietly, sniffing the air.

He did so, carefully removing each fillet from the pan and setting two on each plate.  It was plain, and the portions were smaller than he’d like, but it smelled pretty good.  It lacked Ignis’ flair for presentation, but that was hardly important.  The only two who ever cared for the plating were Ignis himself and Prompto.  Now that Ignis was blind and Prompto wasn’t with them…

Noctis swallowed hard, aggressively rejecting the guilt that suddenly rose up within him.  Now was not the time.  Shaking his head slightly, he picked up the dish with the thickest fillets and walked it over to Gladio, who took it with a nod.

Ignis was sliding his hand across the narrow table, carefully reaching for a plate when Noctis returned.  “I’ll bring it,” said Noctis as he took Ignis’ arm and guided him to a chair by the fire.  While Ignis voiced no protest, the way his jaw set made it clear he was frustrated with himself. 

“Kind of plain, but not bad,” said Gladio with a note of surprise in his voice that Noctis wasn’t sure he appreciated. 

Noctis shrugged in response, handing Ignis a fork before sitting down himself.  “Iggy’s recipe.”

“Not much of it,” he added, prodding half a fillet.

“We had few supplies,” Ignis interrupted pointedly.  “It will keep you warm and fed another night.” 

Gladio merely grunted at that and they sat in silence for a short time, the only sounds those of the crackling fire, the wind and the occasional scrape of a fork.  They had gotten lucky with this campsite.  It was densely bordered on one side with a group of trees which blocked much of the wind.  The whole landscape was covered as far as the eye could see with scattered groups of trees and rocky outcroppings.  Wide stretches of empty, untouched snow lay between.  Noctis might have thought it beautiful were it not for the circumstances.

“So, you _were_ paying attention.” It was Ignis’ voice that pulled him reluctantly back to the moment.

“Huh?”

“All those times I tried to teach you to cook.”  He lifted his empty plate slightly and a small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.  “You were paying attention.”

Noctis smiled too, for what was possibly the first time in days, and felt his heart lift minutely.  “Sometimes.”

He finished his plate quickly after that, standing to collect the dishes and utensils while Gladio hung a small lantern inside the tent and started preparing the small area for sleep.  Ignis stayed stiffly seated as Noctis melted a few handfuls of snow to clean up with.  He knew Ignis wanted to help with the tasks around camp, but there was nothing he could really help with at this stage.  Noctis sighed heavily as he scrubbed the dishes.  How much longer would the remainder of the trip take?  Was Prompto really alive as Ardyn had said?  Or was it another trick?  Yet another way to mess with his head and make him play right into enemy hands. 

“Ugh!” A splash of frigid water drenched the front of his shirt as a plate slipped from his grasp and fell into the bowl of melted snow.  “Damn,” he growled, stepping backward and pulling the wet fabric away from his skin.

“What is it?” said Ignis, standing immediately, one hand hovering in the air in front of him as Gladio emerged from the tent, clearly ready for a fight.

“It’s…it’s nothing,” Noctis said apologetically to both of them, feeling more than a little sheepish in the wake of their reactions.  “I just got some water on my shirt.”  Gladio rolled his eyes and sat himself heavily in a chair with his book, apparently finished with the tent.

Ignis’ posture relaxed somewhat, but his voice took on a more business-like tone.  “That won’t do.  You should go put on something dry.”

“I will,” he said, hands held up in a calming gesture despite the other being unable to see it.  “Just need a minute to finish this.”

Ignis sighed, displeased, but said nothing more.  Paying more attention to the task this time, Noctis finished washing up.  Despite his coat, he was freezing.  Ignis was probably right, as usual; changing first would have been the smart thing to do.  Shivering slightly, he repacked the remainder of their food supplies and headed to the tent for a new shirt. 

What he found there was a severe lack of wearable clothing.  Everything he had brought was either bloodstained or torn or both.  It was too cold to try and wash anything at the campsite.  He frowned and reemerged from the tent, sitting on the edge of one of the foldable chairs and dragging it closer to the fire.  He would just have to dry it out and deal with it until then.

“All dry again, then?” asked Ignis from across the fire.  “If you’re—”

“Ah, actually…” Noctis felt a bit childish as he admitted, “I’m…out of shirts I can wear.”  He spoke again quickly before Ignis could reply, “But it’ll dry.  It’s just water.  We have a fire, right?”

“No,” said Ignis firmly.  “No, you will not sit here in wet clothing.  Come with me.”  And he grabbed his walking stick from the side of his chair and made his careful way to the tent with Noctis following behind as ordered.  The way Gladio followed Ignis’ progress over the pages of his book didn’t go unnoticed.

“Uh, Specs?” Noctis questioned as Ignis felt around for his belongings.

Ignis rummaged through his own neatly organized things for a few moments and then suddenly held out a bundle of fabric so quickly that Noctis had to hop back to avoid being hit.  “Take this.”

Noctis took it and let it fall open.  A collared, button-down shirt in light blue hung from his hands.  “You…want me to wear your shirt?”

Ignis was already putting his things away again.  “I want you to wear something dry.”

Noctis sighed, making a face at the shirt in his hands.  “Have anything in black?”

There was a pause and an almost-there smile as Ignis replied, “I believe I’m wearing it.”

Noctis nodded, caught himself and said, “Yeah, good point.  Thanks, Specs.”

Ignis ducked back out of the tent while Noctis changed.  Even within the tent, protected from the wind, the freezing air almost stung as he peeled the wet shirt off and set it to the side.  He quickly slid his arms into the sleeves and did up the buttons, pulling at the stiff collar.  Ignis’ shirt was slightly too long and too loose on him, but it was dry and clean.  He could live with it for a day.

After draping his wet shirt over the seat of one of the chairs by the fire, he walked to the edge of the campsite, looking out across the snow.  The moonlight glistened on its surface, making the night appear slightly less foreboding.  But he knew the dangers that lurked out there in the dark, and that was the problem wasn’t it?  That was why they were on their way into the heart of the Empire.  Running for their lives _toward_ danger instead of running down to a diner or shirking princely responsibilities.  Oh, what he wouldn’t give to go back for just a day… 

Something tapped the heel of his boot and he pushed his thoughts into the back of his mind once more.  “Noct,” began Ignis.  “You should try and get some sleep.”

“Yeah,” he said vaguely.

“We head back to the train tomorrow.  From there, Gralea.  You need to take care of yourself.”

“I know,” he said, turning back toward the camp and Ignis.  The weight of recent events seemed to press down on him as he looked around the camp.  One friend gone, Ignis blinded for his sake, and Gladio still prickly toward him.  With his chest feeling too tight, he set a hand on Ignis’ shoulder.  “You’re right.  I’m gonna call it a night.” He took a few steps toward the tent and turned back.  “Can I… do you need anything?”

Ignis seemed to chew on his words a moment and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose a bit.  “You get some rest.  Gladio is still awake if I should need something.”

“All right.  You know where to find me then.” 

Ignis nodded as Noctis made his way back to the tent, exchanging a mutual “’Night” with Gladio on the way.  He was eager to climb into his sleeping bag.  He wasn’t as cold as he could be, thanks to the decent meal, but this unyielding iciness was getting to him.  Gladio had set out the tent so that Noctis was at the far end, with Gladio at the entrance.  He removed his coat, unzipped the bag and settled in quickly.  The warmth of the insulated material and the stress of the day pulled heavily down on him at once, beckoning him irresistibly toward sleep.  He saw no point in fighting it.

-

He wasn’t sure how much later it was when he was startled awake by Gladio’s heavy hand landing limply on his face, but he sat up in a near-panic, heart racing.  He leaned forward and rubbed his face with his hands as he realized what had landed on him, thinking that maybe next time they should zip Gladio’s arms into his sleeping bag.  It was only after he had sat blearily staring into the emptiness for several long moments that he realized the problem with what had just happened, and his heart dropped.

“Gladio,” he said with some urgency.  When there was no sign of acknowledgement, Noctis pushed him hard with his foot. “Gladio, wake up.”

Gladio pulled his arm back from where it had fallen and grunted as he attempted to focus in the dark.  “What?”

Noctis planted his hand in the space between them.  “Where’s Ignis?”


	2. Off Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd only meant to be gone for a few minutes at most. That, of course, was not to be.

It was something to get used to, the way his eyes itched with weariness even when he could no longer see.  It felt contradictory.  Ignis pulled his collar up around his neck against the cold and felt around for his cane, nature’s call attended to.  Perhaps the late-night cup of Ebony had been a mistake.  Gladio _had_ warned him, after all.  He suppressed a shiver as an icy wind whipped through the trees and found every space in his clothing.  He would be back in his sleeping bag in the tent with the others soon enough.  Warmth was only a minute or two away.  The snow wasn’t particularly deep around the campsite, and even less so amongst the trees, making it easier for him to navigate. He just needed to get back around to the slope in the rock.

Noctis had gone to sleep two hours before Gladio and himself had, and Ignis was glad.  Recent events weighed heavily on their young King.  He certainly didn’t need sight to perceive that much.  Noctis was far more reserved, more contemplative and quiet.  There was only so much Gladio and himself could do to help, but making sure Noctis got enough rest was one thing Ignis could guarantee, and he was thankful there had been no argument made. 

The cold stillness of the campsite had been almost pleasant with only the sounds of wind and crackling fire.  Gladio had sat by the campfire almost silently while he read his book, but made polite conversation between page turns.  Ignis suspected that Gladio was only staying awake for his sake, and when he had expressed his intention to sleep, Gladio had done the same.  The confirmation of his suspicion made him feel both a little guilty and somewhat frustrated.  Ignis could tell he was steadily improving at navigating his surroundings.  If he could manage to follow the others through an abandoned quarry, he could surely find his own way around a campsite.  He certainly didn’t need Gladio to keep watch over him like a child.

Between the crowded trees, snow creaked loudly under his boots as he felt his way forward, but something else made the same sound behind him.  He froze in place, straining his ears to hear over the dry whistling of the wind. Something was moving quickly.  Something…small.  It wasn’t trying to hide its presence, either.  Ignis turned quickly toward the sound, bracing himself for an attack.  He recognized what it was as another set of running feet caught his attention to the left.  He lifted his cane in one hand and summoned a dagger to his other.  It took too long to materialize in his hand.

Ignis grunted as a goblin collided with him, sending him stumbling backward as his blade finally solidified within his grasp.  He swung out with his cane and felt it connect with one of the goblins.  Following the trajectory of the swing, he followed on with the dagger and a wretched squeal told him he had successfully wounded his target.  But where was the other?  He pinned the injured creature down against the ground with his cane and stabbed it in the chest for good measure, only withdrawing his blade when he felt the body dissolve into acrid smoke.

Sudden razor-sharp pain across his shoulder told him the location of the other goblin and he whipped his dagger through the air, hitting nothing and throwing himself off balance.  Another unseen attack tore at the side of his coat, forcing him to make a stumbling leap to the side.  He hit a tree, hard, and fell to his knee, cane and dagger held up protectively, trying to hear footsteps over his own panting breath.  Ignis nearly growled in frustration.  It was only a goblin.  Something he should have been able to dispatch with hardly a thought.  A snarling sort of laughter near his right side startled him into action just in time to block another strike from what felt like a knife and he kicked out, knocking the creature back.  Ignis stood again, backing away quickly and turning his head to try and determine the direction of the next attack. 

A flash of pain across his thigh sent him darting to the side with a gasp and he cursed through his teeth.  The goblin was coming straight at him now, he was sure of that from the sounds of its feet.  Hoping for the best, he crouched and waited until he sensed his attacker was just close enough, stepped to the side and forward, bringing his dagger down swiftly and burying it in the daemon’s back.  The foul thing screeched in pain and flailed uselessly as Ignis twisted the blade.  Moments later, his arm fell to his side as the goblin vanished in smoke like its companion.

Ignis let his weapon dissipate and felt around until he found a tree and leaned heavily against it, catching his breath.  His leg and shoulder stung painfully, and he could feel the spreading warmth of his own blood seeping into the surrounding fabrics.  This should not have happened.  The fight should have taken thirty seconds at the very most.  He should have come out of it unscathed.  Now, however, he would have to explain why they would soon be down one more potion from their already worryingly meagre supply.  This was not the way to reassure the others that he could hold his own.  With an exhausted grunt, he pushed himself away from the tree and set his cane to the ground. 

He stopped stone-still, forgetting even to breathe.

Which way was the camp?

How far had he moved?

He swallowed past his sudden alarm and walked forward a few paces, reaching out with his cane to find the stone base of the campground.  There was nothing save trees and snow.  He tried another direction and walked several paces again.  Nothing.  The howling wind was finding its way in through the new tears in his clothing, stealing away even the warmth of his spreading blood.  He stopped walking and stood in silence, listening.  He could hear no sounds other than the wind, the rustling of dry branches, and the sound of his heart in his ears.  While that meant no more surprises, it also meant nobody had heard the commotion of the fighting.  Nobody was coming.

Ignis took a deep, steadying breath and called, “Noct!” into the night.  He strained his ears for any sound.  A voice, footsteps, a cracking twig…but there was nothing.  “Gladio!”  A chill that had nothing to do with the temperature spread through him.  The first tendrils of real fear began to creep around his heart as he called their names again.

But there was no answer.  No sound of running feet, no calls in response, not even the ominous sounds of approaching daemons.  Nothing. 

Ignis stilled himself, willing his breathing to even out.  He just had to think.  Just take a moment and think things through logically.  Panicking would do nothing to help the situation.  He couldn’t be too far from the campsite, just far enough that his voice wouldn’t carry over the wind.  If he just stayed where he was, they would find him. 

He felt around with his cane until he found a fallen tree to sit on.  The pain in his shoulder and thigh had an unpleasant burning quality now, so he focused on that rather than the harsh cold.  They would find him soon enough, he was sure.  One of them would notice his absence and come looking.  He set his cane across his lap and pulled his bare hands back into his sleeves as far as he was able.  There was nothing he could do now but wait.

-

Ignis shivered where he sat, rocking slightly and unsuccessfully trying to ignore the knowledge that he would be an easy kill for anything else that might come along. If two lowly goblins had been so much trouble, how would he fight off anything more substantial without the others there to back him up?  How long had he been waiting for them?  How much longer would it be until they even noticed his absence?  It felt like ages since he had sat down, but had it really only been minutes?  The concept of time was difficult to grasp without a point of reference.  There was one thing he knew, however; he was going to freeze to death if he continued to sit and wait.  If the choice was going to be between stay and freeze or move and stay alive…well, he was going to move.  What good would it do if all they found of him was a frozen corpse on a log?

He stood stiffly, the slash across his thigh throbbing painfully with the change of position, the one at his shoulder even more so as his clothing shifted and unstuck from the wound.  He grimaced and shook his head, denying the pain.  He didn’t have time for it.  As there was no way for him to tell direction, he picked one at random and began walking.  If any of the Six were watching, perhaps they would see to it that he chose the right course.  Perhaps he would find the campsite after all.

-

Ignis wasn’t sure how long he had been walking when a change in the wind informed him that he had left the protective stand of trees behind.  Well then.  He wasn’t headed back to camp, that was clear.  He could conceivably still be headed in the correct direction for the train, however he knew it was much too far to reach in this state.  If nothing else, he was at least keeping his blood pumping through his body.  Perhaps he could manage to last long enough to be found. 

The wind was not only stronger outside of the trees, but it had a different quality.  It blew gusts of snow across the vast open space with an almost hollow sound as ice crystals skimmed over ice crystals with a skittering rasp.  Back in the trees, the sound was harsh and crackling as dry branches and pine needles scraped against each other.  The wind in the open expanse felt somehow lonely.  It was certainly colder with no trees to block the relentless wind.  Ignis wondered dismally if he was even leaving footprints, or if they were being blown away as soon as they were left.

The fear he had managed to suppress began to creep in on him again as doubts mounted in his mind with every step.  He couldn’t stop, or he would surely freeze. He held desperately to the hope that he was walking in the train’s direction, but he knew he was likely only getting more lost and further away from his friends.  How could they possibly find him now?  It would be a miracle if he survived this.  Was there even a point in prolonging it? 

A wave of nausea overtook him as he stubbornly shook the thought from his head and he stumbled and stopped to breathe through it.  As strange as it was, he was almost grateful for the feeling, as it distracted from the painful cold and worrisome burning of his injuries.  He breathed slowly into his cupped hands, warming his shaking fingers slightly.  The wind ripped through his hair, sending the chill down his spine and through the rest of his body.  When the nausea had settled into a more reasonable level, he forced his legs to move again.  It was all he could do for himself.  Walk and hope.  Hope that he was headed in the right direction.  Hope he would be found.  Hope he lived that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely happy with the pacing of this chapter, but I've been staring at it for days and this is just what it is.


End file.
